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https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-news-taliban-refugees-08-26-21-intl/h_43bde68f92b014f35cdf231c0cf66cca
At least 12 US service members killed in Kabul airport attack
By Rob Picheta, Meg Wagner, Melissa Mahtani, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha and Fernando Alfonso III, CNN
- All
- Evacuations
President Biden is in the Situation Room
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins
President Biden is currently in the Situation Room, a White House official says. He was briefed on the situation in Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are with him.
Biden was in the Situation Room with his national security team for his daily Afghanistan briefing when the information of an explosion came in, according to a senior administration official. He and his top aides have remained there as they continue to receive information from the ground and as events continue to develop, the official said.
The President's meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, has been delayed, a US official said.
Moments ago, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed that there was at least one other explosion near the airport, at or near the Baron Hotel.
He said he can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was a "result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US and civilian casualties."
Pentagon confirms second explosion near Kabul airport and "a number of US and civilian casualties"
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby confirmed that there was at least one other explosion near the airport, this at or near the Baron Hotel.
He said he can confirm that the explosion at Abbey Gate was a "result of a complex attack that resulted in a number of US & civilian casualties."
Note: The term "casualties" can refer to those wounded or dead.
See Kirby's tweet:
Biden warned of a potential attack in Kabul multiple times over past week
From CNN's Kevin Liptak
President Biden has warned of the possibility of a terror attack at the airport as the threat became more acute, particularly naming ISIS-K in Afghanistan as the greatest threat.
He has used this as rationale for getting US troops out by the deadline.
Here's a timeline of what he's said over the past few days:
Aug. 20:
"We're also keeping a close watch on any potential terrorist threat at or around the airport, including from the ISIS affiliates in Afghanistan who were released from prison when the prisons were emptied. And because they are, by the way – to make everybody understand – that the ISIS in Afghanistan are the – have been the sworn enemy of the Taliban.
I've said all along: We're going to retain a laser-focus on our counterterrorism mission, working in close coordination with our allies and our partners and all those who have an interest in ensuring stability in the region."
Aug. 22
"They’re maintaining constant vigilance to mon- – we’re maintaining the constant vigilance to monitor and disrupt threats from any source, including the likely source being ISIS – ISIS-K, the Afghan affiliate referred to as “ISIS-K.” But we are under no illusions about the threat.
I said on Friday, ISIS-K is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, and they have a history of fighting one another. But every day we have troops on the ground, these troops and innocent civilians at the airport face the risk of attack from ISIS-K from a distance, even though we’re moving back the perimeter significantly."
Aug. 24
"There are real and significant challenges that we also have to take into consideration. The longer we stay, starting with the acute and growing risk of an attack by a terrorist group known as ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan – which is the sworn enemy of the Taliban as well – every day we’re on the ground is another day we know that ISIS-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both U.S. and Allied forces and innocent civilians."
Some background: CNN reported earlier that there was a grave and specific ISIS-K terror threat targeting crowds around the airport, and the US Embassy in Kabul advised US citizens at airport gates to “leave immediately."
The attack comes as the US and other countries race to evacuate people ahead of President Biden's Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.
How US lawmakers are reacting to the Kabul airport attack
The Pentagon has confirmed there was an explosion near a gate at Kabul's airport which "resulted in an unknown number of casualties." According to initial reports, there are some US personnel among the wounded, according to three US officials and a source familiar with the situation.
Back in the US, some lawmakers tweeted about the explosion and the developing situation.
Republican Sen. Mitt Romney described the attack as "horrific," saying that his "heart breaks" for the wounded.
Other Republicans blamed the White House: House GOP lawmaker Lisa McClain said, “Americans are dying at the hands of President Biden's catastrophic withdrawal," and Rep. Jim Banks referenced "Biden's incompetence."
We will continue to update this post as more reactions come in.
Initial reports that US personnel among wounded in Kabul airport explosion, according to US officials
From CNN's Kylie Atwood, Barbara Starr, Nick Paton Walsh and Zachary Cohen
According to initial reports, there are some US personnel among the wounded in the explosion outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday, according to three US officials and a source familiar with the situation.
Moment ago, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby tweeted: “We can confirm that the explosion near the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport has resulted in an unknown number of casualties. We will continue to update.”
Pentagon confirms explosion near Kabul airport gate resulting in "unknown number" of casualties
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby just tweeted that an explosion near the Abbey Gate at Kabul's airport has resulted in an "unknown number of casualties."
President Biden has been briefed on the explosion.
Here's Kirby's tweet:
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